DeLauro Urges the State of New York to Put an End to Broadwater Proposal

Press Release

With the deadline looming for New York State to determine the fate of the Broadwater Liquefied Natural Gas facility, Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3) pressed the State of New York to deny Broadwater Energy the necessary permits for the LNG facility to be built in the Long Island Sound. Before construction can begin on the Broadwater facility, the state of New York must determine by Friday 11 April 2008, whether the project is in-line with their coastal zone management consistency plan and water quality certification. At the Broadwater opposition rally, DeLauro was joined by Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2), Connecticut elected officials and community leaders.

Below is the text of her remarks, as prepared for delivery.

"Too much is at stake, for the people of Connecticut to remain on the sidelines. And so we are here to ensure our voices continue to be heard and the people of Connecticut are protected. We call on the State of New York to deny approval for the Broadwater project.

"Long Island Sound is the lifeblood of our community - a powerful source of economic, recreational, and environmental opportunity for the 28 million people living within 50 miles of its shores, contributing more than $5 billion annually to our economy. It is held for the citizens of Connecticut and New York under the Public Trust Doctrine, and over the years, both states have taken this responsibility seriously, acting to preserve and protect the Sound and its habitat for the benefit of all the surrounding communities.

"The Broadwater proposal to locate a Liquefied Natural Gas terminal in the Sound violates that trust. Its approval would set a precedent for further industrialization of the Sound, regardless of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's March decision to go along and let the market decide -- a reckless abdication of its most fundamental regulatory responsibilities.

"Broadwater is just across the Connecticut - New York border and there is no doubt, it would affect both states dramatically. Yet Connecticut has no formal role in the decision to put this facility in the Sound. Now, this critical verdict must now be rendered by the State of New York by this Friday -- it is for Governor Paterson and his administration to approve or reject. It is essential that any decision takes into account the entire region and our common future.

"If Broadwater becomes a reality, they will install a floating vessel roughly the size of the Queen Mary Two, 10.2 miles off of the Connecticut coast, nine miles off of the Long Island coast. In addition to a new permanent 1,200-foot-by-180-foot vessel in our waters, the Broadwater proposal would establish so-called "exclusionary zones," prohibiting any vessels from coming within a certain distance of both the facility itself and the delivery tankers.

"It would take the entire security zone surrounding a moving tanker, 15 minutes to pass any given point, potentially causing major disruptions in maritime traffic every time these tankers enter the Sound to deliver international shipments of liquefied natural gas 2 to 3 times a week.

"When the responsibility for enforcing tanker zones would fall to a Coast Guard that is already stretched thin, it raises grave concerns. The Coast Guard will be diverting resources to these new LNG tankers -- which itself would pose a new security risk -- instead of conducting life-saving operations, and monitoring port security.

"We all understand the need for lower energy prices. On the national level, it is about our economic, environmental, and foreign policy. In towns and cities across Connecticut it is about the cost of doing business and our quality of life. These are important questions; but this facility does not provide the right answers. We can find other

"Whether we come from Connecticut or New York , we know what the Sound means to our communities. That is why New York must deny approval for the Broadwater project.

"We know the decisions we make today have consequences tomorrow. And we know we must work together, to protect our region and its most precious economic and natural resources for the generations that will follow."

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